Yet more choice from BMW

BMW’s four-cylinder medium-sized model expansion has been powered up with the launch of ‘100 Year Edition’ variants of the 330i sedan and 430i Gran Coupe.

Australian-specific models, the 100 Years are offered only in blue and white as per the German luxury brand’s corporate colours.

The addition of the 100 Year models, which are effectively an options pack available to the end of September production, comes the same week BMW rolled out its updated 4 Series model range to the Australian automotive media.

You can read our first drive review of the 4 Series family here and our summation of the updates and price cuts in an earlier news story.

BMW is claiming the 100 Year Edition adds up to $13,000 worth of additional value while bumping the manufacturer listed price by $6000 to $75,900 for two 330i models available with the M Sport pack and Luxury Line sedan.

The 430i Gran Coupe, which is the biggest selling 4 Series model, delivers up to $11,500 in additional equipment for a price boost of $6000 to $85,900 for both M Sport and Luxury Line models.

Both the 330i and 430i are powered by the same B48 2.0-litre engine from BMW’s new modular inline family, which produces 185kW and 350Nm. Both also accelerate from 0-100km.h in 5.8secs and claim a combined fuel consumption rate of 5.8L/100km.

Even without delving into different specifications and counting the new 100 Years models, BMW now offers a total of 16 2.0-litre petrol-turbo 3 Series and 4 Series passenger cars and X3 and X4 SUVs in various states of tunes across two engine families variously badged 20i, 28i and 30i. It also offers seven 20d 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder across the 3 series, 4 Series, X3 and X4.

Most of these models sit in a pricing band between $60,000 and $80,000.

The matrix becomes much complex when various packs and lines (now topped off by the 100 Year equipment offerings), are added to the mix.

“That’s part of our strategy to keep people in the range,” said BMW Australia general manager corporate communications Lenore Fletcher.

“The fact we have different body styles and the variety we do offer is quite strategic. You might be in a 3 Series sedan and want to try something different and that’s why we offer the Touring and the GT. It really works.

“The other thing too is people want to have more individualised and more unique vehicles. They don’t want to have a car that everyone else has got, they want something a little bit different,” Fletcher stated.

The proof of this is in the sales of the 4 Series coupe and convertible, which are down 17.2 per cent year-on-year from record levels.

BMW Australia 3 and 4 Series product and pricing manager Howard Lam was able to point to a 32 per cent lift for the smaller 2 Series coupe and convertible family year-on-year as evidence that buyers were shifting to another vehicle in the showroom.

“When you combine the two [2 and 4 Series] it comes back to giving customers choice and overall the combined BMW coupe and convertible market is up on last year,” Lam said.

Nevertheless, BMW has acted quite dramatically in offering price cuts of up to $10,100 and equipment upgrades for the 4 series, as well as performance and fuel consumption improvements across much of the range.

There’s no doubting that dramatic action responds to the arrival of the new generation C-Class coupe and convertible, as well as the second generation A5 due early in 2017.

“We are responding to market demand,” said Lam.

“A lot has changed since we launched the 4 Series. We are responding to not only market movement but customers demands as well.”

The Tanzanite Blue 330i 100 Year Edition Luxury Line’s equipment changes over the standard 330i Sedan include BMW Individual Extended Leather ‘Merino’ upholstery in Cashmere Beige, fine-wood Ash Grain interior trim with metal inlays and Pearl Gloss chrome highlights.

Also featured are BMW Individual leather instrument panel finish, leather steering wheel, Anthracite roofliner and door sill finishers, 16-speaker harman/kardon surround sound system, front sports seats with power lumbar support, convenience telephony with extended smartphone connectivity, LED fog lights, 19-inch alloy wheels in V-spoke style and staggered 19-inch run-flat tyres.

The Mineral White 330i 100 Year Edition M Sport adds many of the above items but also includes M Sport brakes and 19-inch BMW M light-alloy wheels in Double-spoke style, finished in Bi-colour Orbit Grey.

The 430i Luxury Line models add leather ‘Merino’ upholstery in Opal White, BMW Individual leather finished instrument panel, leather steering wheel, Anthracite roofliner and door sill finishers with fine-wood Ash Grain interior trim with metal inlays and Pearl Gloss chrome highlights, 16-speaker harman/kardon surround sound system, 19-inch light-alloy wheels in V-spoke style and staggered run-flats.

Like the 330i M Sport, the 430i adds many of the above items as well as M Sport brakes and 19-inch light-alloy wheels in Double-spoke style.